Overcoming Victorian Values
by Sweetdeath04
Summary: A series of events that turn Jenny Flint, a match girl from Finchley with a price on her head, into a lock picking, crime fighting, time traveling parlormaid who just so happens to be married to lizard woman from the dawn of time. Chapter Two: In which Jenny receives an offer she can't refuse, and one that she can.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Doctor Who and any related material does not belong to me.

**A.N. **_The vague makings of a Vastra and Jenny fic has been rattling around my head for the past week. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure where it's going. I'll try and update every week/ten days or so. Anyway, enjoy!_

_**Overcoming Victorian Values**_

**Prologue**

Jenny ran, leaving the matchbooks she was carrying and their contents trailing in her wake. Behind her, she could hear heavy footsteps demolishing the little sticks of wood as they thundered after her. Jenny didn't know what the fellow who was chasing her wanted, but from the way he had been leering at her as the sun began to set, and from how he had approached her only after darkness had fallen and the people had deserted the streets for the comfort of their own homes, she could guess.

The man, bigger and stronger than her, was Chinese- possibly a member of the Tong that frequented the dockyards. When he had approached her in the streets, she had, as her duties required, offered him a matchbook, "Only three ha'pennies, Sir." He hadn't spoke, but when he reached for her face, to tilt it up towards him for a better look, she had thrown caution to the winds, and her matches in his face, and took off. If she could make it back to the match factory in Whitechapel she might, _might_, be safe. But she couldn't be sure- she didn't know the people there like she knew those back in Finchley. _They _would have protected her, hidden her. She couldn't be certain the same thing would happen here.

But she had to make it there first. Jenny risked a glance behind her, relieved to find that her pursuer had fallen back. If she kept running she could lose him entirely! But before she could turn back to the street in front of her, she collided with a heavily muscled chest. Panic rose in her throat as she scrambled to pick herself up, frantically crying out her apologies. Panic turned to hysteria when the man she had run into grabbed her in a firm grip and called out something Jenny could not understand. Her hysteria grew as she came to realise that the language was Chinese, that the man who was holding her was Chinese and that the three men behind him, swiftly approaching, were all Chinese.

How, exactly, had young Jenny Flint, match girl, originally of Finchley, managed to attract the attention of the Tong?

It didn't matter that she couldn't understand the words of their conversation. The actions and the body language of the men spoke clearly enough. They were looking for her. Her, specifically. From the way they inspected her, her face in particular, she knew. They meant to rape her- the way two of them grabbed at her dress, told her that. And finally, when they were done, they would kill her.

The machete that the biggest of the five men was holding could mean nothing else.

Her hysteria broke loose as she was dragged into an alley. She screamed, not words, not coherently anyhow, but she screamed like a feral animal as she kicked at the men that forced her onto her knees and ripped her clothing. One man tried to cover her mouth with his hand but she bit it and clawed at his face with her nails, digging her thumb into his eye when she came across its socket.

She was vicious but so were they. They were bigger, heavier, stronger and greater in numbers. All seemed lost. _It might,_ a traitorous voice in Jenny's head whispered,_ be easier if you let them take what they want. It might not hurt so much._

But she couldn't. Perhaps this was a punishment sent from God for her unnatural proclivities. Perhaps this was to be her final test.

But for all that her father deemed her an abomination, and her mother called her a monster in the eyes of her God, Jenny was a decent girl, and decent girls didn't simply spread their legs for any stranger. That and, if she was going to die, if they were going to _kill _her, she was going to make damned sure that at least one of them remembered her.

The clatter of two more sets of feet approaching was lost on Jenny, too immersed in the present to even consider what the two approaching people could bring with them. More danger or a helping hand? The latter was unlikely. No one stood against the Tong. What _did_ register with her, however, was the scream that came from someone other than her. It was noticed by the men she was struggling with as well, and that, perhaps, was her salvation.

Two figures had caused the scream, that had been cut short as the man's throat had been cut. Or, rather, one figure, cloaked and carrying a thin sword, the likes of which Jenny had not seen on these shores before, had caused the scream. The other figure, a man with floppy hair, too short trousers, a tweed jacket and a horrendous shirt, all topped off with a bow tie, was edging away from the bloodshed, with a look, not of horror or fear, but that distinctly said that he would rather not get involved. He approached Jenny as the Tong engaged and were dispatched with chilling efficiency by the cloaked individual, but she forced herself to her feet, tried to run, only to trip on the tattered ruin of her dress. At some point, her screams had become loud, thick sobs and she was shaking. The man reached out to her, but drew away as she flinched.

"Hey," he said soothingly, over the racket that was going on in the background, "it's going to be okay. I'm the Doctor, I'm here to help."

Kind as he seemed, the Doctor was a _man_. Try as she might, Jenny couldn't resist the instinct to lash out at him as he tried to examine the bloody cuts on her face.

"Doctor," a woman's voice called out, and the cloaked figure strode towards them, wiping her sword on a piece of cloth she had ripped from the clothing of one of the, now dead, Tong. "You're scaring it." Her voice was terse and proper, like that of a _real_ lady.

"_Her_, Vastra. I'm scaring _her._" He turned to Jenny and it was only then that she realised that they were talking about her. As the woman knelt down before her, Jenny stared beyond her at the dead bodies of the men who had tried to rape her, feeling light headed. She was safe now, she hoped, but she still couldn't stop the harsh sobs from erupting from her throat. "I'm not scary, am I?"

But Jenny couldn't even think of answering the Doctor's question, for behind him, one of the supposedly dead bodies moved and let out a groan. Both the Doctor and the woman, Vastra, turned around quickly and _something_ darted out of the hood of Vastra's cloak, sending the man back into oblivion.

"Uhhh..." The Doctor turned back to Jenny to see how she might have reacted to this impossible feat. But Jenny was too grateful to care.

Turning to her saviour, she murmured, "Thank you," before her body, deciding it had been through a bit too much in such a short space of time, finally gave up, and she slumped forward as unconsciousness claimed her. The last conscious thought to flutter through her head was that this would never have happened if she hadn't kissed that pretty scullery maid.

**A.N. **_So, that's the prologue! I'm assuming that there was more than one match factory in London, by the way. The first chapter will be how poor Jenny got into this situation in the first place! I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you think!_

_**~Sweetdeath04**_


	2. Chapter One

Disclaimer: Doctor Who and anything related to it does not belong to me!

**A.N. **_Wow! Thank you everyone who followed and favourite-ed this fic, and a special thanks to those who reviewed (Here, have a cyber muffin. Everyone likes muffins). I actually have something resembling a plot for this fic now. Yesterday my copy of The Brilliant Book of Doctor Who 2012 arrived and I had planned to use it so I could follow canon, however, the book contradicts the TV show a little, so I'm just going to have to use my own spin on things. I hope you all enjoy this chapter._

**Chapter One: In which introductions are made and the reader discovers how Jenny became a London match girl.**

_Three months previously..._

It had all started when Jenny had met Katelyn, a scullery maid who had moved down to London with the household she was serving, from Scotland. A sweet girl with fine fair hair, with tendrils that floated down beside her face when they escaped from the knot at the back of her head. Taller and, at eighteen, older than Jenny and wiser in the ways of the world.

Without even speaking to her, Jenny was smitten. Katelyn had haunted the streets near the match factory in Finchley where Jenny worked and Jenny had watched her as she passed, never expecting to speak to the sweet young women. Even a scullery maid was of a higher class than a match girl.

But, low and behold, words were exchanged when Katelyn had bought matches from Jenny. Jenny had stumbled through the exchange and made such a complete fool of herself that she thought she would never see Katelyn again. But she had. Multiple times. Katelyn seemed to have picked up on Jenny's infatuation with her and, unlike other girls, she was flattered rather than embarrassed or disgusted. In fact, their relationship progressed and Katelyn taught Jenny many, _many_, interesting things.

If only they hadn't gotten careless.

Hugh, Jenny's younger brother, had caught them, lip to lip, up against a wall. It had taken Jenny a moment to realise what had happened but by the time she had caught up with him, it was too late. Hugh, with the innocence of a ten year old boy, had ran to tell their parents that he had seen Jenny kissing another girl.

Her father, initially, had laughed and told Hugh to stop telling such silly stories. But the horror-struck look on his eldest child's face and the insistence of his son that he was telling the truth, soon made him realise exactly what had happened. His face seemed to go through all the colours of the rainbow before Jenny's mother had grabbed her by the collar and dragged her into the relative privacy of the kitchen.

Jenny and her family all lived in one room in a large house with three other families. They all shared a kitchen, which was little more than a cooking pot and kettle over a fire, and a big metal bathtub. More often than naught, the families ate together at meal times, sometimes sharing what little food they had, for they knew that sometime, when they were less fortunate, the others would at least keep their children fed in thanks. But supper had been hours ago and the fire in the kitchen had been doused. There was no need for it in the summer heat wave that had swept the whole of London, though in winter, sometimes everyone in the house would crowd around the small fire to sleep.

"Tell me it's not true," were the first words her mother hissed at Jenny as the heavy door swung shut behind them. She had not loosened her grip of Jenny's collar and used it to swing her round to face her.

Jenny had seen her mother angry before- so angry, so many times. But not like this. _Never_ like this. Her mother was a God fearing woman and the family attended church every single Sunday, no matter what ailed them. She believed firmly that a relationship, a romantic entanglement, a union, whatever you wanted to call it, that was _not_ between a man and a woman, was an abomination. When she heard of men being imprisoned for such actions, she nodded in approval. What Jenny didn't know was whether her mother believed that people who did such things, people who now included Jenny herself, were ill in some way, as more and more people seemed to, or if she thought they were the children of Satan, as others were inclined to believe.

Jenny was about to find out, for better or for worse.

The truth of the matter was that Jenny was a horrible liar. If she even attempted to tell the smallest fib, she would find herself staring firmly at the ground and fiddling with sleeves of her dress or the hem of her skirts. Her mother had caught her out on more occasions than Jenny could count this way, and the punishment for lying were always the worst.

"I can't, Ma." Jenny whispered, and she watched as the colour, that had been an angry red, drained from her mother's face. "It was just kissing," she tried to reason. "We didn't mean no harm by-"

She didn't finish the sentence. She couldn't. The smack of her mother's hand against her face resounded around the now silent room. So shocked was Jenny, that it took her a few moments to really feel the burning coursing through her cheek. Her mother had been angry before. So angry that she had ordered her father to take a belt to Jenny's arse. But _never_ had she raised her hand to her daughter, or any of her children, before.

"You _monster_!" Jenny's mother screeched. "You _dirty, little monster_!" She had grabbed Jenny by the shoulders and was shaking her now. "I thought I had raised you to be better than a common whore, but you're _worse!_" Her words were punctuated with heavy, heaving sobs and the hand that had been shaking Jenny senseless now pulled her into a suffocating hug. But Jenny was unable to return it. The girl was trembling, unable to fully process what was happening.

Her eyes were blank as her mother pulled away from her and looked into her eyes, so different from Jenny's own. They were full of determination and fire, and for the first time since she had felt her mother's slap, Jenny felt something.

Fear.

"It's going to be okay, Jenny. I promise you, it's going to be okay." Her mother was whispering now, "You're ill, but me and your pa, we'll make you better again, I swear." Her tone would have been reassuring if Jenny hadn't suspected that it wasn't she who was ill, but her mother. She had always been a little wild, a bit compulsive and prone to changes in her mood that would have rivalled the one that had just occurred. It was part of the reason the family attended church so religiously- it was only their matriarch's devotion to God that kept her somewhat sane.

Jenny found herself being led back into their family's room in the house. Hugh and their baby sister (though not quite a baby anymore at seven years of age), Anna, were huddled in the corner, pretending to sleep. Her father had been watching the door they had came through and was now listening to his wife with seeming attentiveness, but the looks he was shooting Jenny made her stomach roil. Her father, the one person she thought might understand her, her great defender, was disgusted by her.

That night, Jenny's arse and legs were reacquainted with her father's belt and its heavy metal belt. Its wielder swore up a storm at her but she barely heard a word or felt a blow. Jenny knew what was coming was going to be far worse than this punishment.

It was. Come morning, Jenny was given a choice. A simple choice, one would think, but it wasn't. Not for Jenny. Not for a girl who swore always to be true to herself and would never live a lie.

She was given the option of marrying a local lad, settling down, starting a family of her own and forgetting all about Katelyn and the feelings Jenny had for her. The alternative was to leave her family, her home, even leave Finchley, and never come back. Her parents would tell their friends and neighbours that Jenny had eloped with a boy further away, and woe betide her should anyone find out the lie was not the truth.

Hugh burst into tears as she gathered her things, preparing to leave for good, and if Jenny had felt any anger at him for tattling to their parents, it disappeared without a trace, for he was her brother and she loved him, and he loved her in return, unconditionally, despite her proclivities.

And so Jenny left, finding herself work ten miles south, in a match factory in Whitechapel. Occasionally she would work inside the factory itself but more often that naught she sold matches on the streets. She kept to herself in the evenings, either finding somewhere in the factory to sleep undisturbed or, if she was discovered, she'd sleep on the streets. Rarely did she have enough money to rent a room for the night. She scarcely had enough to feed herself.

It was a lonely existence, but that was fine. It was easier to resist temptation when there was none, after all. Jenny never forgot sweet Katelyn but she did try and forget the feelings she inspired.

* * *

Jenny awoke to the voices of a man and a woman. At first, she didn't recognise them. They were not the cockney voices of those that worked at the match factory. A moment later, she realised that there was something else she didn't recognise- the surface she was lying on. It was soft and almost more comfortable than Jenny could bare. Her family only had one proper mattress and her parents always slept on it. In fact, Jenny could only remember sleeping on it twice in her life, both times when she was very ill.

She was covered with a blanket, she realised with a start. Keeping her eyes closed, she slowly clenched her fingers around the soft material. It was thick and warm and of a far better quality than anything Jenny could ever hope to own. It was something that could only belong to a really rich family. A real sir, or a lady.

And that was how Jenny remembered. It was her rescuers that came to mind first. The man with the hair and the bowtie, and the lady with the cloak and the... tongue.

She breathed slowly, in and out, as she forced herself to remember the attack, wanting to put it out of her mind but knowing that she _needed_ to know every single detail. They were looking for _her_ after all, those men. _Her_, specifically. There _had_ to be a reason- Jenny just didn't know what that reason was.

Last of all, Jenny listened, wanting to be prepared to face her rescuers, or perhaps her captors, when they realised she was awake.

"But Vastra," the man was whining. "did you really have to eat them _in front of me_!" The Doctor, Jenny recognised his voice.

Vastra gave a snort and retorted, "I told you to take the girl and go whilst I finished up. If it was going to affect your delicate stomach so badly, you didn't have to watch." She seemed to be teasing him, "Besides," she added, with barely a pause, "_you_ were the one who suggested that we get dessert."

The talk of food made Jenny, or at least her stomach, realise that she hadn't eaten in two days. She wasn't one to complain, but her stomach decided that now was the perfect time to do so, against her will.

"Ah ha!" The Doctor's voice became clearer, and Jenny could guess that he had turned around the face her prone body. "I think sleeping beauty here is awake!"

Well, it was useless to keep pretending to sleep now. Jenny opened one eye, still lying perfectly still, and was greeted by the grinning face of the Doctor. Behind him, Vastra was rapidly fumbling with her cloak... but as Jenny rose sharply, the lady gave it up as a bad job. It was too late, she had been seen.

Both the Doctor and Vastra stared at her in trepidation, perhaps waiting for her to scream, of maybe faint again. But Jenny didn't. She observed. Vastra was covered in green scales, like a lizard. At least, her face was, Jenny couldn't see the rest of her body. Even her hands were covered with elegant gloves. She had little crests on the top of her head that oddly suited her elegant appearance. In fact, she suited scales and all. This, Jenny realised, was not a condition, or a malformation. It was entirely natural and it was beautiful.

_None of that,_ a voice in her head chided her.

So, instead of fainting, Jenny gave a little shrug, accepted the situation and moved on to take in her surroundings, completely missing the bemused look Vastra shot the Doctor, and the grin he gave her in return.

She was obviously in the home of someone of wealth. The furnishings were lush, the fire was well stoked even though it was only October and not cold enough for it yet, and the walls were lined with shelves upon shelves of books. However, she noticed, that the place could do with a good dusting. That, and the windows needed cleaning.

At long last, she turned to the odd pair who were staring at her as if _she _were the alien. "Thank you for rescuing me, Sir, Ma'am," she turned to both of them in turn with a slight dip of her head. She felt the need to get up and curtsy but the Doctor was looking at her as though he would hold her down and feed her tea and soup if she even thought of such a thing.

The Doctor shot her one of those manic grins and brushed off her thanks, "Oh, it was Vastra here who did the rescuing, really." He turned to the lizard that Jenny had still not reacted adversely to, "I just spurred her on a bit." He turned back to Jenny rather sharply, as though he had just remembered something, pointing a finger in the air. "I'm sorry, introductions! I'm the Doctor and this is my friend, Vastra," he jabbed a thumb at the woman behind him, who had completely abandoned her cloak over the back of the chair in which she was now seating herself. "I'm not sure if you've noticed but," the Doctor leaned forward conspiratorially, even as Jenny leaned backwards, "she's a lizard."

"Yes, Sir," Jenny answered, entirely unsure of how to respond and deciding to try and remain polite, even though the man had rather patronisingly pointed out the obvious, "I had noticed that, Sir."

A laugh sounded from Vastra and the Doctor turned to her. "Well, I'm sorry, but most people scream or faint when they see you!" he said, indignantly.

"Clearly this girl is not, 'most people,' then." Vastra turned to Jenny, giving her a smile and displaying her very white teeth.

Jenny looked at the ground, trying not to blush at what she hoped was a complement. "Think I've done enough fainting for the day, Ma'am," she tugged at the now tattered sleeves of her dress. God, she was a right state. How was she going to go back to the match factory like _this_?

It was the Doctor who spoke next, "Hey, now, none of this 'Sir' and 'Madam' nonsense!" He bent closer to her and this time, Jenny did not back up. "You haven't told us your name."

"Jenny, Sir- Doctor!" Jenny corrected herself, hoping not to anger the kind folks that had saved her life. "Jenny Flint, _Doctor,_ if it pleases you."

"Well, Jenny Flint," the Doctor said warmly, gently even, "I'm sure your family is wondering where you are. What do you say that we make sure you get home safe and sound?"

Jenny felt sick. Was her family wondering where she was? What would her parents think of her being attacked tonight? Were they worried about her? Or did they truly never want to see her again? She felt a lump grow in her throat but damned if she was going to start crying tonight _again._ Instead, she swallowed and found herself unable to look the kind Doctor in the eye. "I haven't got a family, Sir," she said, fingers burying themselves in the heavy blanket. "But I would appreciate the company back to the Bryant and May factory." She shuddered at the thought, even as she moved to get up- she would be lucky if they only docked her pay for losing their merchandise. It was more than likely that she would be fired.

"The factory will be closed for the night," Vastra informed her, though she knew that already. "You should stay here for now. The streets aren't safe for you."

Before Jenny had a chance to protest that she didn't wish to impose on the strange couple, the Doctor was on his feet. "Brilliant! Great! Right, food- you need food." He pointed at Jenny, "You're far too skinny. And tea! Tea makes everything better. It's a hug in a mug!" He headed towards what Jenny assumed was the kitchen, opening the door and taking a step forward before stopping dead. After a moment, he slowly stepped backwards, closing the door again and turning to Vastra. "You need a maid, not a butler," he gave the lizard woman a slight scolding. "I'll be right back," he directed his next comment at the both of them and Jenny thought that he looked mildly ill.

As they heard the front door open, the sound was accompanied by the Doctor's parting comment, "And Vastra, please try and not eat her while I'm gone."

**A.N. **_This chapter was supposed to cover a bit more, but it was also supposed to be a fair bit shorter, so I'll leave it here for now. Please drop me a review and let me know what you think. Also, please point out any spelling and grammar mistakes I've made. I'll take all the help I can get to make this a better story! Thanks for reading!_

_**~Sweetdeath04**_


	3. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Doctor Who and anything related to it does not belong to me.

**A.N. **_Once again, thanks to everyone who reviewed, particularly those who weren't signed in that I can't thank in person. Sorry this chapter is so late, the past two weeks have been hectic. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!_

**Chapter Two: In which Jenny receives an offer she can't refuse, and one that she can.**

As the door slammed behind the Doctor, the silence that followed was deafening. The two remaining occupants of the house eyed each other warily, both unsure how to respond to the presence of the other. Vastra started as Jenny shifted herself from the sofa on which she had be laid, and began to neatly fold the blanket that had been covering her. She took her time over it, determined to remember the feel of the thick wool between her fingers, sure that she would never again hold something of this quality.

It was Vastra who broke the silence. "I no longer have a family, either." It was an awkward sentence, as an icebreaker, but it caused Jenny to look up in startled anticipation of what the strange lady would say next. "You said that you don't have a family," Vastra addressed Jenny again, explaining why she had felt this information was important to impart. "That is something we have in common. I am sure you have noticed that I am not a, _human being_." She said the words as though there was something else she would like to substitute. Something not as polite. "But my species is of this Earth."

Jenny would have liked to retort that she had certainly never seen anyone like Vastra on this Earth, but she had seen just how deadly the lady could be, and the Doctor's comments about Vastra _eating _her rang in her mind, so she stayed silent.

"Many years ago, before you apes had evolved to what you are today, Silurians were the dominant species upon this planet. But we were forced to hibernate below the Earth's crust for billions of years. _I_ was awoken by men tunnelling an extension to the London Underground, only to find that those same men had killed my sisters." Jenny could hear the restraint in Vastra's voice and was grateful for it. She would not have cared to be in the position of those men who had killed Vastra's kin, whether the deaths were accidental or not.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," Jenny spoke sincerely, intoning the statement with the reverence it deserved. "Some people do bad things to those who don't deserve them. Don't ask me why, Ma'am, for I fear I won't be able to give you an answer. I only wish they didn't."

Her answer seemed to surprise Vastra. The lizard woman, _Silurian_, Jenny remembered, looked at her curiously, eyes wide. Then a look of comprehension dawned on her face. "You speak of the apes who attacked you?"

Jenny was speaking of people in general, but she nodded. It was easier to let Vastra believe that she was speaking of a specific case. She didn't want her to ask how Jenny's own family had died- particularly because they hadn't and Jenny wasn't sure what story she would come up with on the spur of the moment. Still, there were hundreds, _thousands_, of orphaned children in the city of London alone. Illness and starvation claimed more than they should. Perhaps Vastra would believe that was what happened to Jenny's family too.

Still, perhaps a different topic of conversation would be better.

"Why do you need a butler, if you don't mind me asking, Ma'am?" Jenny recalled the Doctor's rebuke about a butler and a maid.

"A very good question!" It was not Vastra who answered, but the Doctor. Neither woman had heard him return. He walked cautiously towards them, a tea tray with a china pot, cups and saucers and all manner of cakes balanced on it, all balanced on top of a large pile of cloth. Vastra rose with grace to rescue the tea and the Doctor ditched the mass of material in front of Jenny, snatching the first piece and unfurling it to reveal it was a dress. Holding it in front of himself to model it, he looked at Jenny. "I thought you could use something to replace yours," he gestured at the dress she was wearing, and now that she was no longer covered by the blanket, Jenny took the time to inspect the damage.

The dress was a right off. Even if Jenny had the materials to repair it, it would be more patches than the original material. And then there was the blood and grime that she was not entirely sure she could scrub out. She looked up to find the Doctor holding the, frankly gorgeous, dress towards her.

"I'm not going to wear it," he said as a manner of explanation. "Well, probably not."

Vastra snorted as she poured the tea. "How come you never bring me nice dresses?"

"I gave you a sword!" The Doctor turned to her, protesting, even as he dropped the dress into Jenny's hands, shocking her into a stupor with the feel of it. This was of an even higher quality than the blanket. She clutched it, unwilling to let it go yet wary of what she would be asked for in return.

Nevertheless, she had to set the dress aside to accept the tea and cakes proffered at her. The tea was strong and sweet and it calmed her shaking hands and the cakes soothed her starving stomach. Jenny had to restrain herself from scoffing them all as quickly as she could- that would not be polite or ladylike at all.

She had all but forgotten her question when the Doctor decided to answer it. "Vastra here is a detective- when the police can't solve a crime, sometimes people with a lot of money ask Vastra to solve it instead."

Jenny swallowed a piece of scone, lathered with cream and jam, whilst she thought on what to say. The whole situation was rather surreal and she was still expecting to wake up in some cold, damp street, or worse, have been taken to a workhouse due to her injuries. Clutching the china cup and letting the heat from it burn her palms, she looked at Vastra and murmured, "You must be very brave, Ma'am."

Vastra scoffed, "Hardly. The crimes I solve are usually those that involve the theft of some worthless item that is priceless to somebody or another. As soon as the thief is caught, he usually gives up." She shook her head slightly, clearing some errant thoughts from it and coming back to the matter in question. "However, most of my clients are rather wealthy, _upper class_, individuals."She said the words, 'upper class' with some distain. "And therefore my skills matter very little to them if I seem to be unable to pay someone to open my door to receive them." Vastra appeared to find the notion completely absurd and Jenny would like to agree with her, but she was working class herself, barely staying out of the workhouses, so who was she to dictate how society operated?

"Plus, it would add to the mystery of the fabled cloaked detective of Paternoster Row," the Doctor added cheekily. "It kind of spoils the mystique when you show yourself to any passing stranger at the door."

It sounded like a joke, but Jenny realised that it was nothing more than a poorly veiled warning. What would the world do if a lizard woman, from a time earlier than humans could remember, was discovered and presented to the world at large. Yes, Vastra could hide her face and perhaps pass her scales off as a skin condition of some sort to a minority of people. But if enough were to see her then they would start asking questions. And many would not like the answers they received. If someone like Jenny was seen as _wrong,_ as _unnatural_, what would the church and what would the Queen make of Vastra?

Jenny took a sip of her tea and looked around the room, contemplating. There sat Vastra, adding liberal amounts of jam to a scone, perhaps more refined than any of the upper class in London, and infinitely more clever. Across from her sat the Doctor, repeatedly trying to rest his feet on the table and getting them knocked right back down each and every time, throwing small, black pontefract cakes in the air and catching them in his mouth.

But one was a lizard, a walking, talking, rather sophisticated lizard, but a lizard nonetheless, and the other, in his odd manner of dress, had eyes that had seen so much more than could ever be told, at least, in Jenny's lifetime. And then there was Jenny, a match girl from Finchley, who desired the company of women to that of men.

The oddest thing was that, of the three of them, she was probably the most socially acceptable.

* * *

As night wore on and the tea was abandoned, Jenny was given leave to use the washroom and change into a clean dress. She had deliberately chosen the least excessive of the dresses the Doctor had provided her with. In her experience, everything came at a price, and as kind and generous and the Doctor seemed, Jenny did not want to tempt fate, only to be presented with a price that she could not afford. Still, the dress was dark and heavy, stifling in the current weather but as soon as winter hit she would appreciate it all the more.

As she washed, she found more cuts along her legs. Her knees looked as though the skin had been ripped off them, but she found them to be clean. Vastra and the Doctor had obviously tended to her when she had been unconscious. Mottled bruising was finally appearing on her arms and she was grateful that the sleeves of the dress covered them.

After she had dressed, she perched herself on the edge of the bathtub to contemplate her situation before heading back to the inevitable chattering of the Doctor. If she was to turn up at the match factory in her new finery and with no matches and no money, there was a chance that the owners would call for the police to arrest her for theft. There was a chance that the Doctor could explain away the situation for her, he seemed the sort who could talk his way out of anything, but it was unlikely that her status as being employed would last for much longer. And if she was unemployed and homeless that meant only one thing.

The workhouse. That dreaded place where people only went when they had no other option left in the world. Many considered death less of a punishment. But what else could she do?

Her heart was heavy as she entered the sitting room again and, as horrible as this night had started off, its conclusion, though unexpected, had been interesting and pleasant and Jenny found herself wishing that dawn would not break come morning.

* * *

Vastra appeared to be struggling to stay awake when Jenny rejoined them. A large meal, she explained with a yawn that displayed her very white and very sharp teeth, always left her sleepy. The Doctor, on the other hand, was full of exuberant energy. Jenny wondered if the man needed sleep at all. He peppered Jenny with questions, about herself, her job, her aspirations in life. Jenny surprised even herself with her answers. She had always been a bit of a dreamer, but she had never revealed those dreams to anyone else. Her mother had firmly put her in her place for it as a child, reminding her of her station. But there was something about this man that made her _want_ to tell him. When she told him that she had slowly been teaching herself how to read, he had dived towards the bookshelf in search of something suitable for her.

He listed off names of books and authors, some that she had heard of and many more that she hadn't. Then he came to one, Harry Potter, which he lifted off the shelf in a flourish of excitement before coming to a very abrupt and very confused halt.

"Vastra, where did you get this?" he gave the dozing Silurian a prod and brandished the book at her.

If possible, her reply confused him even more. "You gave it to me." Her eyes remained closed and her tone suggested that her involvement in the conversation was over.

"Right! Of course I... Wait. I don't remember giving you these."

One blue eye opened, giving the Doctor a look of quiet exasperation.

"Oh! I see, right, I must remember to do that sometime!" The Doctor seemed to have caught on to whatever Vastra was meaning because her eye closed again and the Doctor put the book back on the shelf with an apology to Jenny, "Sorry, maybe you can read it in a hundred years or so."

Jenny was thoroughly confused.

Their conversation continued until the first rays of light came through the window. The Doctor carefully and cautiously asked her about the men who attacked her, and why they did so. He seemed relatively unimpressed by her first explanation of, 'This is London. This happens to people every day.' Instead of accepting the obvious answer, he managed to pry out of her, rather painlessly, it has to be said, that Jenny believed that the men were searching for her in particular. Vastra seemed to wake up at hearing that, and she watched Jenny as she spoke, giving her such great attention that Jenny could feel her cheeks colouring and her voice got quieter and quieter until she finished her story in barely a whisper, staring at her hands, which were worrying at her new dress.

Once again, she missed a loaded look between Vastra and the Doctor, but she could not miss how the Doctor took her hands in his.

"Jenny," he addressed her, and she could almost feel him trembling in anticipation. "I travel through the stars, through time and space. It's amazing, brilliant, really! But it's more fun when there's someone to share it with. And you're smart, you're don't faint when you see someone like Vastra, you're perfect, really! And so, I was wondering if," he was standing now, her hands still held tightly in his, "you would be my companion?"

He continued rambling, about what, Jenny did not notice. She stopped hearing anything past the word, 'companion'. He seemed to completely miss the young match girl tensing up, ready to flee, and he seemed to have disregarded the sharp gasp of warning from Vastra, that sounded more like a hiss.

Jenny finally gathered her wits, dismayed that she had been so easily misled into believing the Doctor's intentions were honourable. Food and clothes. She should have known they wouldn't come cheap. She wrenched her hands from the Doctor's, standing up and striding towards the door, as far away from him as she could get, before turning to face him.

"Now, you see here, Mister. I don't know what sort of girl you think I am but I will _not_ be bought by kind words and pretty dresses. I thank you kindly for helping me tonight, but if you think I'll be giving you any favours you can think again!"Jenny seethed, her hands in tight fists as her sides.

The Doctor looked confused and bewildered at her reaction and made to let out some defence of himself, before he was grasped by Vastra, who tugged him towards her and hissed in his ear, "I think you could have used better wording than, 'companion', Doctor." He still didn't seem to comprehend and Jenny caught Vastra's blue eyes rolling heavenwards before hissing in his ear again, much quieter this time.

As Vastra interpreted what Jenny believed the Doctor had implied, a range of emotions passed over the Doctor's face. First, there was shock, then he looked aghast as he realised how his little speech might have sounded. Then, finally understanding the implications, he blushed scarlet, moving to hide behind Vastra with a strangled cry of, "Sorry!"

Vastra sighed, with a mutter of, "Hopeless mammal," before turning to Jenny. "I can assure you, his intentions are innocent, even if his wording could use a little work." She glowered at the man peaking at Jenny over her shoulder. "But the Doctor is correct, Jenny. You cannot return to the match factory, not if the Tong wish to kill you. It is not safe for you."

Jenny didn't even pause to marvel at how comfortable she felt speaking to this very strange stranger. "But what choice do I have, Ma'am? I have to work. I need to earn money for food."

Vastra sighed, sitting down again. It was a strange sound, her sigh. A strange sight as well. Her tongue darted across her lips and Jenny was surprised to notice that it was pink, like her own. She had expected it to be green... "I do not know. But we'll think of something, Jenny. We'll think of something..."

The Doctor, who was now standing to Vastra's side and looking a bit sheepish, offered another suggestion. "You _do_ need a maid, Vastra."

The Silurian's mouth opened sharply, perhaps to rebuke the Doctor or perhaps to defend her kitchen, but she froze, understanding dawning in her eyes. The Doctor gave her a small grin and a shrug, trying to act modest, but failing miserably. His eyes glowed brighter than Jenny had ever seen.

"Jenny!" Vastra announced brusquely.

Jenny barely managed to let out a, "Yes, Ma'am?" before Vastra continued.

"Would you be able to open the front door and greet any guests that may arrive?" Vastra's gaze was shrewd as ever.

"If it would please you, Ma'am."

Vastra gave her an almost feral grin. "How would you like to work as my maid?"

Jenny's eyes grew wide. Would she like to work in the household of a woman who hunted criminals, wielded a sword and could possibly teach her more than anyone else in London? Of course she would! It was a massive step up in the word, even from working in the relative warmth of the factory.

But Jenny had one condition.

"Do you promise not to eat me, Ma'am?"

Vastra let out a sharp laugh whilst the Doctor was doubled over in hysterics. Jenny didn't know why. She had heard enough this night to truly believe that Vastra ate human beings.

"Yes, Jenny. I promise not to eat you. Unless you become a criminal of the worst kind, of course," Vastra placated her.

Jenny could live with that. She had no intention of becoming a criminal. A voice in her head reminded her, devilishly, of the reason she had been forced to leave her parents' house, but that sort of behaviour wasn't illegal for girls, she countered. "Then yes, Ma'am. I'd very much like to work as your maid." She gave an awkward curtsy.

The Doctor was grinning, genuinely pleased, but he made one last offer, "Are you sure I can't tempt you with a trip to the Medusa Cascade?"

Jenny shook her head, feeling light and relaxed now her future was a bit more certain, and she was more sure of the Doctor's intentions, or lack thereof as well. "Sorry, Doctor. I'd like to see a bit more of Earth first."

* * *

Dawn had fully broken now, and Vastra showed the Doctor out to a strange blue box parked in a nearby alleyway. She had promised Jenny her own room, and the Doctor had left the dresses for her.

How could her life have changed so dramatically overnight? It was incredible- a dream come true. She was careful not to pinch herself as she explored the house, terrified that she might wake up.

Last, but not least, she approached the kitchen that the Doctor had shied away from, she creaked the door open and peeked through.

Well, she thought, as she stared at the raw meat on the table and the blood that graced the walls and floors, making the room look more like a butchers than a kitchen, maybe not a _dream..._

**A.N. **_Once again, sorry this took so long! I hope you enjoyed it. So now we know how Jenny got her job and next are the trials and tribulations of dealing with her new employer! Please let me know what you think!_

_**~Sweetdeath04**_


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